To immerse themselves in their roles, many stars set about drastically changing their appearance, with losing or gaining weight becoming a rite of passage for actors looking to go deeper into a character.
While men and women change their body shapes for parts, when it comes to shaving their heads for a role, it remains more surprising when an actress chooses to lop off her locks.
The latest star wishing to go super-short is Anya Taylor-Joy. The actress, who recently won the role of Furiosa in a prequel about the freedom fighter made famous by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, is said to want to shave her head as Theron did for the role.
“She wants to, but [director] George [Miller] doesn’t want her to,” Jenny Beavan, the costume designer for Furiosa, revealed. “So, I don’t know whether she will or not.”
With Taylor-Joy chomping at the clippers to ditch her trademark long blonde hair, here are 15 actresses who shaved their heads for their roles …
Tilda Swinton
That wasn’t a bald wig Tilda Swinton was wearing to play the Ancient One in 2016’s Doctor Strange, the British actress really did shave all her hair off to inhabit the role.
Opting to keep her bald head a secret until the film’s trailer was released, the Oscar winner said she thought “it would be such fun if people don’t know anything”.
Cara Delevingne
The model-turned-actress shaved her hair off for her role in the film, Life in a Year.
Playing a woman with cancer who is given one year to live, Delevingne told Elle: “Before I even got the project, I said to the director, 'I want to shave my head for it.' My agents and managers were like, 'Please don't! Why would you do that?’”
Cate Blanchett
The Australian actress dug out the clippers for her role in the 2002 film, Heaven.
“Shaving off my hair is so liberating,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “I had to do it once for a film role, but I’ve done it periodically too.”
Joey King
The actress has shaved not once but three times for different roles. Most recently, she received a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for her role as Gypsy Blanchard in the biopic, The Act.
Shaving her head to play the troubled teen, King told Allure: "I've never really had an attachment to my hair. I couldn't care less what happens to it. So many people would ask me, 'Are you really scared?' or 'Are you nervous?' or say, 'You're so brave.' And I'd go, 'I'm not brave. I'm just cutting my hair off.'"
Demi Moore
One of the most famous head-shavings in cinema was carried out on-camera by Demi Moore in the 1997 action film, GI Jane.
The film is about a woman who joins the male-only US Navy Seal training programme. The actress took a set of clippers to her hair as director Ridley Scott filmed.
Karen Gillan
The Scottish actress agreed to shave for her role as Nebula in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
“I was told even before I auditioned that the actress who got this would have to shave her head, and I didn’t think I was going to get it. So I was like, ‘Absolutely, I will shave my head! Sure,’” she said. “Then three screen tests later, it was ‘Oh God, this might actually happen.’”
Olivia Cooke
The actress ditched her mane to portray a leukaemia patient for the indie film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Cooke credited having her head shaved with helping her be more authentic. “It was the best thing I did to get into character and to feel all of the emotions I was supposed to be feeling at the time.”
Sigourney Weaver
Another famous cinematic head-shaving came courtesy of Sigourney Weaver’s famous character, Ellen Ripley, in Alien 3.
The alien-fighting warrant officer revealed her shaved head in the third instalment of the successful franchise, which had her stranded on a prison spaceship.
“I think it brings out the faces and the vulnerability of these actors very much,” she said of her and her fellow cast mate’s shorn locks.
Charlize Theron
The South African actress has sported a pixie crop during her career, but she went full-on shaven-headed for her role as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Playing the fearless heroine in the film, which also starred Tom Hardy, Theron said of lopping off her locks: “I highly recommend it. I think every woman should do it.”
Persis Khambatta
The former Miss India-turned-actress paved the way for going above and beyond for a role, and was among the first women in modern cinema to shave their heads for a part.
Khambatta went fully bald for her role as Ilia in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Kristen Stewart
The Oscar-nominated actress shaved her head for her part in indie film, Underwater.
She later revealed that getting a buzz cut made sense on a practical level because she was wearing a diving helmet for much of the film.
“I'm not going to be able to have touch-ups once I put the helmet on, so I must shave my head," she told The Today Show.
Amandla Stenberg
The Hunger Games actress had zero regrets about shaving their hair off for their role in When Hands Touch, about a biracial teen living in Nazi Germany.
"Shaving my head was wild,” Stenberg wrote in an essay about the experience. “I felt a sense of complete neutrality. It was so freeing.”
Natalie Portman
Like Demi Moore, Portman decided to undergo her head-shaving onscreen while the cameras were rolling. The actress had her hair cut off to play Evey Hammond in the 2006 film V for Vendetta.
"I was really excited to get to shave my head — it's something I'd wanted to do for a while and now I had a good excuse," she said. "It was nice to shed that level of vanity for a girl."
Kate Hudson
The actress reached for the clippers to play the character Zu in Music, the first film from singer-songwriter Sia.
Hudson later revealed that Sia, and Hudson’s son, Bingham, then aged 6, cut her hair.
Millie Bobby Brown
The British actress was only 12 when she had her head shaved to play Eleven in the Netflix hit, Stranger Things.
The young star later called the experience “the most empowering moment of my whole life”.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Rabi%20Tower%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Championship%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(PA)%20Dh180%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hili%20Tower%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%20Arabian%20Derby%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh150%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Championship%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh380%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Honeymoonish
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'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
